As someone cursed with the urge to check Twitter, I’ve seen seeing a recent critical reappraising of Season 2 of True Detective. At the time I thought it took more punches than it deserved but it got me thinking of a more interesting question…
What shows are the “Insert Credit Games” of Television?
What is the Raw Danger of Streaming Shows?
What is the Bullet Witch of HBO?
What is Network TV’s Saturn Bomberman?????????
After pouring through “Best Of” Lists for most of my Internet Life trying to make sure I was watching the best shows, I wish there existed a resource to collect enthusiasm for those shows that really slip under the radar or those 7/10s that are, in their own way, better than some 10/10s. I ask this because True Detective Season 2 seems like a candidate for such a title — a fairly ignored follow-up to a surprise hit that had big swings interspersed along with its misses.
I’d also consider shows like Halt and Catch Fire and You’re The Worst as candidates, shows that aired in their entirety in the corners of lesser-acknowledged networks (the former was on AMC, but during the post-Breaking Bad dirge of Low Winter Suns and the like), however these are at least bolstered by widespread critical acclaim amongst those “In The Know”. Hell, even a show like Mr. Robot which most people gave up on after Season 1 reached transcendent levels of quality later on.
The most immediate “Insert Credit” type show I can think of is Too Old To Die Young. Episodes range from 31-97 minutes! It is meticulously constructed! It’s got Hideo goshdarn Kojima in it!
We’ve been a couple years into a saturation point with scripted TV and its more cumbersome than ever to sift through the chaff, which is a shame cause some stellar programming is falling by the wayside after failing to capture the “hype” of your Successions or your Yellowstones. How will these lovely messes be found?